Features
Two New UK Arenas Receive Planning Approval
The Sage in Gateshead, England, and Cardiff Arena in Wales have both been approved by the respective councils.
The Gateshead Municipal Borough Council approved plans for The Sage, a £260 million ($342 million) waterfront leisure development in northern England. The mixed-use entertainment district, developed by Ask Real Estate and Patrizia AG, will include hotels, bars, restaurants and retail, right on the banks of the River Tyne. The development will be operated by ASM Global.
The 12,500-seat Sage, which forms the entertainment heart of the dirstrict, will host music, cultural and sporting events, as well as conferences and exhibitions. A flexible seating bowl will comprise fixed, retractable and removable seats, allowing the venue to accommodate audiences as small as 1,500.
The building is designed by HOK. John Rhodes, director of sports and entertainment at HOK, said, the Sage would “attract high-profile events and conferences while infusing the area, which already boasts rich cultural buildings and spaces, with another gathering space and entertainment destination.”
HOK also designed the new 17,000-capacity Cardiff Arena in the Welsh capital. “Cardiff Arena will be an important addition to the city’s renowned live entertainment scene and accelerate development and reinvestment in Cardiff Bay,” said Rhodes, “The project is embedded in the city and its massing has been controlled to thoughtfully respond to its context. Cardiff Bay will once again export energy to the world in the form of live entertainment.”
Cardiff Arena’s architects have made sure that the design prioritizes sustainability, and that all materials, including steel and wood, will “communicate the connection to the waterfront, docks and the city’s rich history as a major coal exporter and producer of steel furnaces.”
Cardiff Arena will be operated by Live Nation and Oak View Group. The project team also includes Arup (engineer), Gleeds (project management) and Robertson’s (developer).
Current and recent HOK projects include Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi; Casal España Arena in Valencia, Spain; Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the State Farm Arena renovation in Atlanta; the renovation of Footprint Arena in Phoenix; a new Major League Soccer stadium in St. Louis; Rogers Place and the Ice District in Edmonton; Little Caesars Arena in Detroit; and the renovation of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.